Overview

• Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry issued administrative guidance on Sept. 26 requesting that Japan Post disclose, in principle, incidents where mail fails to reach recipients.
• The directive covers cases such as lost items or situations where delivery or return is difficult, even when no law is violated, to ensure users can recognize affected incidents.
• Japan Post must report how it will implement the guidance, including its internal arrangements, by the end of October 2025.
• The move follows ministry inspections in 2023–24 and a June 2024 notice, with fresh media reporting this month about continued non-disclosure triggering a reassessment.
• Japan Post said it will work to improve under the ministry’s guidance; previously it mainly publicized incidents that violated the Postal Law, leaving other cases undisclosed.